7/2-4 (LRC): Bertrando; Los Alamitos Derby (G2)

[RolloTomasi]

Originally Posted by Kasept

As an aside, rough Eastern swing for the Cali contingent this weekend with Gaines, O'Neill, Eurton and Baltas all going home without major checks.

At no point did Bejarano allow Bolo to run, not even as he was challenged on all sides around the far turn. Obviously, he felt that something was amiss. Nevertheless, tanking in Belmont Derby was always inevitable considering Bolo's connections did everything possible to derail his career during the winter. Santa Anita needs to write a $500,000 3yo turf race in February or March so we don't have to watch these nice 3yo turf horses get chewed up on the Derby trail.

Sharla Rae was 99-1 or should have been. Brice Blanc did Spanish Queen no favors, not that she was beating Lady Eli or the Euros anyways.

Ashleyluvssugar was a sitting duck following Shining Copper with no cover. Then again, he was probably one bad effort away from running for a claiming tag back earlier this year. The fact that Finnegans Wake, a perennial also-ran back east at 3 and 4, went to CA and immediately dominated the turf division was all anyone needed to red pen anything silly enough to ship out of CA. Crucero, a horse who only about 70 days ago broke his maiden for a $20k tag, won a 5-horse San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita on closing day. Why on earth Ashleyluvssugar, a Cal-bred no less, shipped all the way to NJ to face multiple G1 winners is beyond me.

But hey, at least we have Hard Aces.